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Archives for July 2013

Week In Review: 7/21/13 – 7/27/13

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Here's a look back at this week at MLBTR.

Rangers Have Considered Dealing Joe Nathan

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SUNDAY: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets the Rangers are having more than internal talks and are shopping Nathan for an established hitter. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com writes Nathan would have great value on the trade market, but most teams that would want him wouldn't be in position to part with the type of hitter the Rangers need.  

SATURDAY: The Rangers have had internal conversations about trading closer Joe Nathan, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports, citing major league sources who say such a move would be aimed at taking advantage of the Rangers' deep bullpen and this year's thin relief pitching market. Nathan would immediately become the top closer on offer if the Rangers decide to shop him, Rosenthal says, placing him ahead of the Phillies' Jonathan Papelbon, who may not even be traded.

The move would open new trade possibilities for the Rangers, who have been frustrated in their attempts to acquire pieces to bolster their lineup, which ranks ninth in the AL in runs per game. After dropping 11 of their last 14 games, Texas' situation has grown more urgent, Rosenthal observes. He names the Tigers, Red Sox and Dodgers as teams known to be in the market for late-inning bullpen pieces.

Former Royals closer Joakim Soria could step into the same role for Texas, according to Rosenthal's sources, and Texas pitcher Neftali Feliz, a former closer in his own right, is also expected to return from Tommy John surgery in about a month's time. In addition, Alexi Ogando, who's currently in the rotation, could slide into a late-inning role for Texas after starter Matt Harrison returns from the DL, so the back end of the Texas bullpen could remain a strength even if they do decide to trade Nathan.

Nathan, 38, has a sparkling 1.73 ERA this year in 41 2/3 innings, posting a 9.5 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. His contract has him earning about $2.5MM on the remainder of the season and also includes a $9MM club option for next year, though Nathan can choose to void the option and become a free agent if he finishes 55 games. He has already finished 39 games this year.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Orioles Have Internally Discussed Carlos Quentin

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3:10pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock noted on Twitter that Quentin has a full no-trade clause as part of the contract extension he signed last July.

12:05pm: The Orioles are giving thought to trading for a bat and one of the players that the club has talked about internally is Carlos Quentin of the Padres, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  The slugger is signed through 2015 for roughly $24MM in total.

Last night we learned that the Orioles could have more payroll flexibility than they've been letting on and are considering making a major splash before this week's deadline.  That significant move could be making a play for a top available starter like Jake Peavy or bolstering the offense with someone like Quentin or Justin Morneau.  However, it's not a given that San Diego will part with Quentin as a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports last week that they don't plan to trade the veteran. 

Quentin, 31 in August, is hitting .278/.366/.500 with 13 homers through 80 games this season.  For his career, the two-time All-Star owns a .255/.351/.492 slash line across eight seasons with the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Padres.  

Giants Designate Yusmeiro Petit For Assignment

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The Giants have designated right-hander Yusmeiro Petit for assignment, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The move clears roster space for right-hander Guillermo Moscoso who was acquired from the Cubs on Friday.

Petit was added to the roster last Tuesday and appeared that night in the first game of a doubleheader against the Reds (and the second pitcher from that twinbill to be designated today). He tossed 5 1/3 innings of two-run relief while scattering six hits and striking out seven. Petit had made 12 starts for Triple-A Fresno before his recall posting a 5.24 ERA, 9.7 K/9, and 1.6 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings.

This is the second time in four months the 28-year-old has been dropped from the Giants' 40-man roster, as he was outrighted last March. The Giants now have ten days to either trade, release, or outright Petit.

Minor Moves: Buckner, Harden, Cedeno

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Today's minor moves..

  • Right-hander Billy Buckner cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment by the Angels to Triple-A Salt Lake, tweets MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. Buckner was designated for assignment by the Angels last Thursday.
  • Rich Harden asked for and was granted his release from the Twins organization, tweets Dustin Morse, Director of Baseball Communications and Player Relations for the club. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets Harden's contract contained an opt-out date of July 31, if he wasn't placed on the 25-man roster by then.
  • The Astros announced that they have released shortstop Ronny Cedeno.  He will be free to sign with another club once he clears unconditional release waivers tomorrow.  Cedeno, who was designated for assignment last week, was hitting .220/.260/.298 in 155 plate appearances for Houston.  

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Reds Designate Greg Reynolds For Assignment

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The Reds have designated right-hander Greg Reynolds for assignment, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. In a corresponding roster move, the Reds have recalled left-hander Tony Cingrani.

Reynolds made just one appearance for the Reds this season, as he started the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Giants last Tuesday. The 28-year-old took the loss allowing five runs (all earned) on eight hits over five innings. The second overall pick in the 2006 draft has enjoyed success at the Triple-A level this year posting a 2.54 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 127 1/3 innings covering 19 games including 18 starts.  

Cafardo On Morneau, Blue Jays, Veras, Ramirez

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The Rays might be the only contending team that doesn't need to do anything at the deadline, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  As for the other 13 clubs that are still in the hunt, Cafardo runs down each of their needs in advance of Wednesday's deadline.  The Cardinals would like to add a starter and perhaps a middle infielder, but are good to go with what they have.  The Rangers got their big fish in Matt Garza, but they'll still be on the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder as their concern grows over Nelson Cruz.  Meanwhile, not every club has the resources to make the upgrades that they'd like to.  The Reds have three top arms on the shelf in Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Broxton, and Sean Marshall, but they might not have enough to obtain another.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Contrary to some reports, the Twins have received “numerous calls” on Justin Morneau, according to a major league source.  The Blue Jays are one team that has expressed interest in the Canadian.
  • Scouts and executives are split on whether the Blue Jays could sell off Mark Buehrle and/or Josh Johnson.  Buehrle, 34, isn’t the same pitcher he used to be, but he shows that he has value for a contender with performances like Thursday against the Astros. 
  • Jose Veras has done well as the Astros' closer and he’s receiving a lot of attention from teams looking for a late-inning reliever.  However, teams are wary of the fact that Veras hasn't had to deal with real pressure and the Astros' high asking price.  “I don’t think you can make a blanket statement like he pitches for the Astros so there’s no pressure,” said an American League GM. “If you look at his performances, he comes in when there’s pressure and he handles it well.” 
  • Manny Ramirez was getting rave reviews in his first week for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, but he's now slumping.  Texas isn’t bringing him up any time soon, and the Rangers remain focused on acquiring a bat.
  • Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey is an under-the-radar guy whose performance is peaking and he's available since he'll be a free agent at season's end.  It's a small sample size for sure, but Pelfrey has a 2.28 ERA in four July starts.

Phillies Make Young Available, Not Cliff Lee

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The Phillies have reached out to other clubs to let them know that players, including MIchael Young, are available, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  However, coveted starter Cliff Lee is not among those players on the block.

Last week, GM Ruben Amaro admitted that he will be willing to listen on any player and couldn't definitively rule out trading anyone.  That idea was underscored by sources telling Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com that the club would listen to offers on Lee, who would completely change the landscape of available starting pitching.

Young, who is hitting .277/.342/.402 with seven homers on the year, has drawn the interest of the Rangers, Red Sox, and Orioles.  According to one report last night, however, Texas is not looking to reunite with Young before Wednesday's deadline.

The Phillies have a number of attractive pieces for contending clubs, including second baseman Chase Utley and closer Jonathan Papelbon.  It's not clear if they are being made available in the coming days but if they are, it would mark a change in thinking for Amaro & Co.  Amaro has publicly stated his desire to see Utley play out the remainder of his career in Philadelphia and has said that developing another closer of Papelbon's caliber would take time that the club doesn't have.

Orioles Designate Jairo Asencio For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that they have designated Jairo Asencio for assignment.  The move allows the O's to recall outfielder L.J. Hoes from Triple-A Norfolk.

Asencio, 30, appeared in four games for Baltimore this season and allowed two runs.  In parts of four big league seasons, the right-hander owns a 5.34 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.  Across four Triple-A campaigns, the veteran has a much sharper 2.44 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

MLB May Announce All Biogenesis Suspensions This Week

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There are strong indications that MLB will announce all the suspensions in the Biogenesis case this week, according to Joel Sherman and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.  It is believed MLB wants to make the suspensions formal this week so that first-time offenders can serve a 50 game suspension inside of the 2013 season.  That, in theory, would give players incentive not to appeal the decision and enter 2014 with a clean slate.  

In the case of Alex Rodriguez, he could be hit with a suspension that will sideline him for the rest of this season and all of 2014.  Rodriguez’s representatives met with MLB officials in the past few days in what was likely an effort to better gauge the potential penalties coming his way.  

His suspension will be substantial as MLB believes the combination of being a user and obstructing the case demands a much stiffer penalty than what was given to Ryan Braun.  It is even possible that Bud Selig could ask for permanent banishment, though it would be hard to convince an arbitrator, if Rodriguez appeals, that his first suspension should be for life. 

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